Broadcasting digital radio, V2X (vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure) and car-radar information is now a reality, and with it comes an increasing number of standards worldwide. We are working to provide software-driven ICs that support multiple global standards using the same system application. This is possible thanks to the rapidly evolving capabilities of digital electronics and our software-defined radio (SDR) platform.
RF-CMOS SDR enables us to realize multiple radio standards through tightly coupled RF frontend and baseband software. Traditionally, support was possible for each specific radio standard through expensive hardware implementations. The space, energy and cost savings offered by application specific SDR concepts are considerable, in addition to the flexibility and performance which can support multiple standards.
Due to a common platform architecture approach, implementing several radio products for multiple markets with an optimum balance of cost and performance has become a reality through SDR. The benefits offered by SDR include low cost of ownership for tier-1s and OEMs, and reduced time-to-market for new standards. It also reduces logistical support and operating expenditures when adding new features to existing infrastructures. In addition, SDR ensures easy adaptation to regional variations via software download and over-the-air (OTA) upgrades for quick and cost-effective updates while the radio is still in service.
Multi-standard SDR is the ideal answer to the boom in radio and wireless connectivity capabilities. Our solid RF-CMOS know-how guarantees the combination of maximized flexibility and system integration while ensuring the highest level of performance.
Digital radio broadcast is gaining ground worldwide, with new networks installed, existing ones upgraded and an increasing number of listeners. Compared to AM/FM radio it offers more stations, dramatically improved reception, greater coverage, CD-sound quality without noise, higher bandwidth efficiency for broadcasting and improved mobile reception. It also combines both audio and data services (text, pictures, as well as traffic news, weather, etc.).
One prime example of the rise of digital radio is the Norwegian declaration to switch off analog broadcasts in favor of digital (DAB) radio in 2017.
The spread of digital radio brings diverging requirements to the market, with different digital broadcast standards, each with their own regional footprint. Fortunately, SDR eliminates the limitations of customized, standard-specific hardware radio solutions by providing unrestricted flexibility in supporting broadcast radio standards. Several terrestrial digital radio standards such as HD Radio, DAB and DRM can be supported with a single multi-standard IC-based platform that can demodulate and process digital terrestrial baseband signals into audio signals and digital data signals.
V2X communication technology is ready for OEM deployment, paving the road towards the driverless car. SDR technology allows the creation of a flexible, cost-effective V2X platform for car makers and infrastructure equipment manufacturers.
This is based on a single hardware IC platform that incorporates SDR technology to process V2X functionality. It also handles reception enhancement algorithms from Cohda Wireless, which provide high performance even in more challenging mobility and non-line-of-sight situations. The result is a flexible SDR processor for V2V and V2I communication, supporting global standards, with end-of-line configurability by firmware download.
The software-defined radio approach allows OEMs to deploy a global V2X platform.
Audio system TFA9887 with adaptive sound maximizer and speaker protection.
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